Traditionally, the process of recruiting new employees was a complicated, time-consuming and expensive one, but with the advent of ATS software designed specifically for screening candidates, it has become a lot easier.
What is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?
An Applicant Tracking System is a software tool that handles incoming CVs, information about applicants, interview schedules and other activities involved in the employment process. It basically cuts down the amount of time a recruiter has to spend on looking through resumes for criteria that determine an individual’s suitability for a position.
Initially, these systems were used by large firms, but over time, mid-sized and small businesses have also started to implement them in order to simplify and streamline their organization’s hiring process.
Traditional Applicant Tracking Systems
Early ATS tools were extremely time-consuming and exhausting to use, and the efficiency level was not even a fraction of what modern ones provide. Back in the day, companies used manual tools like spreadsheets, emails and printed documents while hiring candidates, and physically post job openings to their own websites, job portals and social media channels.
Despite the presence of primitive ATS tools, most activities were still conducted manually, like examining all the incoming resumes to shortlist candidates on the grounds of skills or experience listed, and how well they matched up to the job requirements. Recruiters also spent hours browsing job portals and candidate databases for the same reason.
After shortlisting suitable applicants, they would then have to contact them individually, to notify them about interview dates and times, placements and more. They would also have to manually send email acknowledgments to every person who sent in their CV in response to a job posting!
Modern Applicant Tracking Systems
Today, ATS and recruitment technology has developed into intelligent and efficient tools for hiring-related tasks. With the constant addition of new features and customized solutions, these smart systems take over all the work that would have otherwise been conducted manually, leaving recruiters free to focus on the finer details of hiring candidates.
Keyword searches are used for parsing hundreds or thousands of resumes at a time, screening candidates automatically based on given inputs. Modern ATS tools can also store or retrieve candidate data within instants, and allocate tasks to different HR personnel as required. They integrate with job portals, company websites and social media too.
Some even offer additional options, like automated email responses to incoming applications, bulk resume uploading from emails, reminders for interviews, video streaming and much more.
What Are the Benefits of Applicant Tracking Systems?
- Decreases recruitment costs and improves Price Per Hire.
- Reduces recruitment management and hiring time.
- Modernizes recruitment processes.
- Helps identify inefficiencies and best practices.
- Increases efficiency, decision-making and flexibility.
- Streamlines internal and external communication.
- Reduces physical storage and filing requirements.
- Minimizes data security risks and errors.
Emergence of the Cloud-Based ATS
Cloud based recruitment software is the new technology being used in businesses all over the world, where the applicant database is hosted in virtual “storage” that can be accessed from anywhere, and anytime.
Here are the top 3 reasons why cloud based tools are becoming the next big thing in recruitment:
Flexibility
The cloud lets employees work online from anywhere, as long as they have access to the internet and a computer. This leads to an increase in offsite hiring, since HR personnel can work from home, while commuting, at job fairs, etc.
Scalability
With cloud-based systems, adding new users is easy and quick, so organizations have the freedom to allocate HR resources as per need. Storage capacity can also be scaled up or down as per requirements.
Control
Intuitive ATS tools allow for improved control over hiring activities, since administrators can set up different levels of access for internal and external personnel. Users can also set up private or shared tasks, feedback, etc.
Applicant tracking systems like Jobsoid are extremely beneficial to the hiring process, and the process of recruitment can be quite cumbersome without them. This cloud-based recruitment software can be installed quickly and put to use right away, so if you haven’t already, sign up for a free trial today!
